This proposal requests continued support of a Training Program in Cardiovascular Biology that was established at Washington University in 1977 to support Predoctoral Students conducting Ph.D. thesis research and Postdoctoral Fellows in the early stages of post-graduate training. The goals of this Program are to provide outstanding research opportunities, well-rounded, multidisciplinary training in Modern Cardiovascular Biology, and mentoring to Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Trainees in the laboratories of the participating faculty to prepare these individuals to be productive, independent scientists. The critical components and the clear strengths of this Program are the 20 participating training faculty and the trainees themselves. Another important strength of this Program and, indeed, of the overall environment at Washington University, is the highly collaborative nature of our research efforts. This interactive environment and these collaborations expand the research, training and mentoring opportunities provided to the trainees. The faculty derive from seven departments, and include nationally and internationally recognized leaders in several specific areas of Modern Cardiovascular Biology including molecular biology, physiology, cell biology, biochemistry, pathology, genetics, and human cardiac disease mechanisms. The faculty are well established, well-funded, experienced and highly productive investigators, and all are committed to providing the training, experience, resources, intellectual enthusiasm and mentoring needed to achieve the overall goals of the Training Program and to facilitate the professional development of the individual Program Trainees. The strengths of this Program are manifest in the quantity and quality of our scientific output, in the quality of our present and past trainees, and in the achievements of our past trainees. In addition to the research training provided in individual and collaborating research laboratories, this Training Program provides instruction in "Ethics in Biomedical Research," and provides trainees the opportunity to participate in the "Core Cardiovascular Biology Curriculum," the weekly "Trainees in Cardiovascular Biology Series" and the weekly "Cardiovascular Research Seminar Series," all developed and operated by this Training Grant. This Training Program is also actively involved in monitoring the progress and professional development and in the mentoring of Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Trainees. (End of Abstract)